Accumulation of chips from machine tool operations has always been a problem in the machine tool field and is more acute with the advent of automated machine tools which operate continuously for extended periods of time. The build up of chips from the cutting operations would interfere with the operation of the machine tool if the chips were not periodically removed.
An early effort to alleviate the problem of build-up included the use of a slanted chip receiving area or way which would allow the accumulated chips to slide downwardly to a chip-receiving container or else down to the floor.
In the field of highly accurate and automated machine tools, the slide alone was not sufficient. It was necessary to develop faster and more thorough chip removal devices to maintain the pace of the machine tool. The U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,737 of Longstreet, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a chip flushing means using a fluid for flushing the beds of the machine tool. The fluid is distributed by a fluid pipe having a series of openings for depositing a flushing fluid onto the machine ways to flush chips away from the cutting area. However, the device of Longstreet produces individual streams from each opening and flushing the way in the path of each stream. While the individual streams flush the channels in which they flow, they do not provide a sufficient flushing capability to remove chips from the entire way. Furthermore, the use of individual stream does not provide a smooth cooling flow across the way to flush away the hot chips and simultaneously cool the bed of the machine base.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a chip flushing system which provides a laminar flow of flushing fluid across the chip receiving area and simultaneously cools the chip receiving area to prevent unwanted thermal creep of the machine tool base.